Fed up of being public property

[lenleeds]

Is anyone else feeling like this or is it just me? I'm so fed up of:

a) people thinking it's okay to touch me without warning. Surely, normal practice should still apply about personal space
b) giving unwanted advice. Constantly.
c) Being told once the baby arrives no-one will be interested in anything I have to say (thanks MIL)
d) Any mothers who already have children, or in fact anyone at all pulling a patronising smug face every time you express an opinion on anything baby related.
e) comments about your weight. Constantly.

I really feel its sucking up any enjoyment I get from being pregnant. Most of the time I live my life feeling guilty because I don't fit into the mould people want to put me in.

It's really really getting me down. Anyone got any tips?

Well I can only suck up the enjoyment if you let it.
I agree that touching you and comments about your weight are rude and irritating. (Have to say no one ever did this to me in all of my 2 pregnancies)
Advice is (nearly) always well meant. Some of it might even be helpful.
If its not just smile, nod and change the subject. Ignore, don't let it get to you. Same goes for MIL.
If you're not prepared to say anything to the people involved then you are going to need to try and ignore, ignore, ignore. don't allow it to spoil your pregnancy.

No tips I'm afraid, just empathy...I especially hate weight comments. Telling me how massive I am doesn't help anything and I don't see how that's in anyway appropriate! I just tend to make a joke and to let them know I don't appreciate it!

You have my sympathy, I started standing back from anyone who was likely to try and touch me so that they couldn't do it. The advice is probably well meant but that doesn't make it any easier to take. It probably comes from a place of "I wish someone had told me" but your experience will be unique so it could be completely irrelevant to you.

Yeah. Luckily I can ignore most of it!

I have had to say "the baby is under a pretty thick layer of ME, it's weird if you touch my stomach without asking!" a couple of times.

Some of my friends people in my social group who I am polite to but keep a distance give smug advice when I don't mention baby stuff. It's the only thing that really annoys me.
Like I say of a celeb for example "Hmm, I like that dip dyed ombre hair she's got..." and they smugly say "Ha! You think you're going to have time for nice hair with a child..? How naive!" Well no I didn't say that at all and more to the point, that's a bit insulting to all the other mums here who have perfectly nice hair.